La Mesa's Oktoberfest under the microscope

LA MESA  La Mesa's Oktoberfest, annually the downtown village's largest attended event, took a beating this week when La Mesa Police Chief Ed Aceves shared public safety concerns with the City Council.

"The primary factor that will continue to lead to the potential for problems is that the event is held as an open event on public streets where there are no means to limit crowd size or makeup," Aceves wrote in a report to the council.

Aceves said there needs to be "some acceptable changes (made) to the event" because of what is "a clear pattern over the past three years of the event attracting an unruly crowd of young adults."

Celebrating its 40th incarnation last month, the weekend-long festival of all things German proved to be wildly popular. But in the past three years, a wild part has overshadowed the event's popularity, according to a report Aceves shared at Tuesday's council meeting.

A "fun zone" kids' area with carnival rides had been shelved this year by Oktoberfest sponsors the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce and the La Mesa Village Merchants Association, in an attempt to keep out any dangerous element. But late-night trouble still found its way into the event, which must yearly receive a city permit and the council's OK to operate.

Aceves recounted how on two nights of the three-day event, Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5, large crowds of juveniles gathered in the parking lot where Starbucks, Subway, the Trolley Deli and other businesses operate. While Friday's event went relatively smoothly security-wise, Aceves wrote in his official report to the council that by 8 p.m. Saturday, "the number of unsupervised juveniles swelled to approximately 200 to 300."

Officers monitoring the crowd identified known gang members from areas outside the city's jurisdiction; many wore "gang colors," Aceves wrote. Several fights broke out near the fountain area near the San Diego Trolley tracks as the night progressed. The curfew for juveniles is 10 p.m. in the city.

"The fights, gang members and large crowd of juveniles in a relatively small area of Oktoberfest, could once again have easily escalated into a riot-type situation," Aceves noted, adding that "a proactive, visible police presence helped to keep the situation under control."

Burl Hogins, president of the La Mesa Village Plaza Condominium Association, which represents the 150 people who reside in the 94-unit multipurpose building, spoke to the council about the tenants' collective concerns.

"We love our village, our La Mesa, and want to be part of the solution," Hogins said. "I have taken no polls, but I have the sense that an overwhelming number of us support the Oktoberfest tradition and custom, but abhor the last three years of growing crowds of restless, rude, and disrespectful young citizens."

While the number of arrests of scofflaws at the 2013 event was down by 16 - seven arrests were made by 26 patrol officers this year compared to 23 the previous year - the issue of providing a safe environment for the Oktoberfest as a whole remains a huge concern for officials and residents alike.

Arrests included three for drunk in public, one DUI and one of being under the influence of a controlled substance. Not included in this year's arrest totals were nearly 20 citations issued by the ABC for minors in possession of alcohol and by La Mesa police officers for operating a business without a license.

"This is not a city-run event, but if things go bad (the) city gets the blame for it," Aceves said before Tuesday's meeting. "This is not the flavor, not what old Oktoberfest used to be. We need to figure out a way to get back to what that was."

Hogins suggested less trinkets for sale and "maybe more oompah bands."

"This last Oktoberfest seemed to be just one gunshot, or firecracker for that matter, away from a riot," he said. "We were frightened for the police, for the innocent families nearby and for ourselves. Perhaps the festivities should close at dark on Friday and Saturday nights. Perhaps we should rethink what kind of tradition Oktoberfest should become."

Mary England, president and CEO of the La Mesa chamber, was at the council meeting and said she took every word of Aceves, Hogins and the council to heart. She said she understood that the merchants would be forming an ad hoc committee with Hogins and his HOA group.

Aceves said on Wednesday that public safety officials will meet with chamber members and with the merchants' association to "figure out where to go from here," and look into measures of protection and a safe environment for all. By next spring, Aceves said he hopes there will be a collective plan of action for the 2014 Oktoberfest.

"Oktoberfest is extremely important to this community," England said on Wednesday. "Our chamber footprint is only in the beer garden. The (merchants' association) is in charge of what goes on in the streets. But we're all in this together. We can't have a good event if it isn't safe."

A day after the public safety presentation, Councilwoman Kristine Alessio said Oktoberfest is "a part of La Mesa and our history," and suggested revisions to make sure people feel, and are, safe. She said her young daughter was afraid for her welfare and for the police department's safety when the kids started gathering in the parking lot near Starbucks.

"I don't think she should be afraid, or anyone else should," Alessio said.